THE REAL REAL

SHOPS AND E-COMMERCE ,   T

The Real Real is an online shopping site specialized in the resale of luxury products. Founded in 2011 by entrepreneur Julie Wainwright

The Real Real was founded in 2011 from an idea of the e-commerce entrepreneur Julie Wainwright. Significantly, the team of the online shopping brand is made up of experts. Notably, in art, luxury, gemologists and watchmakers. They are who evaluate the products to be included on the site for sale on consignment.

One of the points on which the brand is particularly focused is the development of circular economy and sustainability. Trying to achieve this by forging partnerships with some of the most important brands in the fashion sector. Among these, in 2017, there’s Stella McCartney, with which the brand collaborates on a call to action to raise consumer awareness on circular economy.

Partnership con Burberry, 2019

COLLABORATIONS FOR SUSTAINABILITY

The brand’s philosophy, the resale of luxury products, has become a national holiday that is celebrated on the first of October. On the occasion of the National Consignment Day, The Real Real launched the Sustainability Calculator in 2018, a digital platform that allows you to know more about the components of a product and to assess its environmental impact.

Partnerships were announced on the day of the national holiday; in 2019 the collaboration with Burberry was signed, and the following year with Gucci. For every customer who buys or resells Gucci products on the site, the One Tree Planted organization receives a donation in support of reforestation activities.

Partnership con Gucci, 2020

BRAND’S EXPANSION AND CONTROVERSIES

Since 2011, the brand has also made its way into physical stores, opening stores in New York in 2017, in 2018 in Los Angeles, and the following year in Madison Avenue, New York. Other openings in the United States followed, including California, Texas and Connecticut.

However, the brand was not far from some criticisms and disputes relating to the originality of the products sold. In fact, in 2018, Chanel accused it of selling fake products. In addition to this accusation, the luxury giant accused the online platform of providing customers with false information relating to an alleged collaboration and of having assigned the term vintage to items that do not reach 50 years after the first release. The issue is still debated in 2021.

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